Most types of protective headgear worn by workers to protect them from falling objects have a suspension system. The suspension system, along with the helmet itself, act to absorb the shock of a falling object striking the worker's head. The suspension system is also used to hold the helmet on the worker's head.
The suspension is often a web-like support system comprising two or more strips of material that are arranged to cross each other. The ends of the strips are, for example, attached at four or more points around the circumference of the helmet. A band is then typically attached to the four or more points of the suspension to permit the helmet to be worn by the worker. To securely position the helmet on the worker's head, it is essential that the circumference of the headband be adjustable to fit the appropriate head size. A napestrap is often attached at one end of the band to achieve these results.
In the Staz-On.RTM. Suspension, currently available from Mine Safety Appliances Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,474, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, a headband, and more particularly, the napestrap position of the headband, is manually adjusted by the wearer to fit the appropriate head size. The two ends of the band are connected and held in place by a slot-and-teeth arrangement. One end of the band is formed with parallel rows of flanges or teeth. The other end of the band is formed with parallel rows of slots. The size of the band can be adjusted by inserting the teeth of one end of the strap into the slots formed in the other end of the strap at the desired length. Although this type of band is relatively simple in design and manufacture (in part because separate mechanical fasteners or adjustment mechanisms are generally not required), users of such bands often have difficulty adjusting the band size while wearing the suspension. This inconvenience often results in the use of a different, more expensive type of suspension, such as a ratchet-type suspension systems, for example, the Fas-Trak.RTM. Suspension, currently available from Mine Safety Appliances Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,628.
It would be desirable, therefore, to develop a headband for protective headgear which is not only easily adjustable while being worn by the user, but which is also simple and inexpensive to manufacture.